KEPCO E&C Charged with Designing Every Nuclear Unit in Korea Since `93

Makes strives by expanding its business environs abroad

31(Sat), Mar, 2012

KEPCO E&C, established in 1975 with the goal of self-sufficiency in nuclear power design technology, is firmly committed to continuously improving the safety and economical viability of nuclear power based on technical know-how and manpower resources developed through designing every nuclear power plant in Korea since 1993.

At the same time, KEPCO E&C is dedicated to preparing for the future to provide even better engineering services to its clients at home and abroad.

The OPR1000 (Optimized Power Reactor 1000), designed with KEPCO E&C’s technology, has been applied in Ulchin Units 3 & 4, Yongkwang Units 5 & 6, and Ulchin Units 5 & 6. KEPCO E&C has also developed an improved OPR1000, in use in Shin-Kori Units 1 & 2 and Shin-Wolsong Units 1 & 2, which improved the safety and economic efficiency based on years of experience and design technology.

The Shin-Kori Units 3 & 4 and Shin-Ulchin Units 1 & 2, equipped with KEPCO E&C’s APR1400, which is regarded as the next-generation reactor that can contribute to national competitiveness, are under construction. KEPCO E&C is also building nuclear power station BNPP Units 1~4, being constructed in the UAE, and is designing Shin-Kori Units 5 & 6 with the APR1400.

KEPCO E&C started providing power plant design engineering services with limited participation for this country s first nuclear power plants: Kori Units 1 & 2 and Wolsong Unit 1. Since then, KEPCO E&C has concentrated on improving its technical capability for technology self-reliance and independence. KEPCO E&C has now become capable of independently carrying out a fully integrated A/E design work for the construction of nuclear power plants. KEPCO E&C provides complete engineering services work associated with all aspects of nuclear power plant design and construction as well as other engineering services including highly specialized research and development work.

NSSS DESIGN

KEPCO E&C-NSSS worked together with ABB-CE on 1,000MW PWR Yongkwang 3 & 4 in 1987 and was able to achieve technology self-reliance for the design of the NSSS design at the end of the project. Since 1991, KSNP-Model started independently designing the NSSS of all nuclear power plants built in Korea including that of the 1,000MW PWR KSNP. KEPCO E&C-NSSS has independently developed an NSSS design of the 1,400MW APR1400 plant. The design is highly safe and cost competitive in the world nuclear market for this century. Besides the PWR NSSS design, KEPCO E&C-NSSS has been involved jointly with AECL in the design of CANDU 700MW PHWR NSSS systems for Wolsong Units 2~4 and has performed special engineering services associated with operation and maintenance of these units for AECL in Canada. KEPCO E&C-NSSS has also successfully provided engineering support services for improving the performance and maintenance of the Wolsong Units 2~4. KEPCO E&C-NSSS is strengthening technical cooperation with foreign companies in the area of nuclear power plant life extension and decommissioning.

Entering into 2012, KEPCO E&C has turned to expanding its business environs abroad. KEPCO E&C has carved out a prominent niche in the overseas nuclear power market as it has begun dispatching its nuclear unit design manpower abroad, which has been in short supply due to a hiatus in many countries construction of nuclear power units since 1980s.

On the other hand, KEPCO E&C has come from strength to strength to grow into a company with some 2,000 design experts. KEPCO E&C s design manpower has been dispatched to Bechtel and Westinghouse of the United States, one of the global nuclear powerhouses, as well to the new nuclear unit construction sites in China and Taiwan.

KEPCO E&C President Ahn Seung-kyu

In 2008, KEPCO E&C gained ground in global recognition when it was allowed to participate in the design of AP1000, the updated reactor model developed by Westinghouse.

In 2009, KEPCO E&C won the B-type radwaste storage project for the International Thermonuclear Energy Reactor (ITER) and Greece’s research reactor GRR-1 project.